Threaded Hole Retainer With Staggered Locking Teeth
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hole retainers, particularly fir tree designs, face challenges when used in threaded holes, requiring higher engagement force and resulting in incomplete seating and ergonomic issues due to cumulative deformation, and lack consistent engagement regardless of orientation.
Innovation Solution
A hole retainer with staggered locking teeth and flexible lock arms that engage threads with a constant force, allowing for easy insertion and high retention, featuring a saddle, stabilizing post, and anti-rattle posts to maintain stability and prevent lateral movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If fir tree designs are used in threaded hole applications, then retention is achieved, but engagement force becomes significantly higher and seating becomes incomplete
Solution Approach 1:
The locking teeth are designed with staggered positioning and varying lengths, where each tooth engages with threads at different depths and orientations. This local variation in tooth geometry allows distributed engagement across the threaded hole, reducing peak engagement force while maintaining strong retention through cumulative threading engagement.
Solution Approach 2:
The lock arms are designed to be flexible rather than rigid, allowing them to dynamically adapt during insertion. The flexibility enables the arms to flex during installation to reduce insertion effort, then engage on one side only to provide breakage resistance for extraction without unscrewing, optimizing both insertion force and retention strength.
2Strength
If fir tree designs are used in threaded hole applications, then retention is achieved, but operator ergonomics deteriorate due to high insertion force
Solution Approach 1:
The locking teeth are designed with specific geometric parameters including staggered positioning and varying lengths that change the engagement characteristics. This parameter optimization allows the teeth to engage threads progressively at different orientations, reducing the peak force required during insertion while maintaining strong retention, thereby improving operator ergonomics.
3Reliability
If conventional locking teeth are used, then engagement is achieved, but engagement consistency varies with installation orientation
Solution Approach 1:
The locking teeth are designed with asymmetric staggered positioning and varying lengths rather than uniform symmetric arrangement. This asymmetric design ensures that at least some teeth are properly positioned to engage with threads regardless of the installation orientation, providing consistent engagement reliability across different mounting scenarios.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables a hole retainer to be inserted into threaded holes with lower and constant engagement force, ensuring complete seating and high retention, while reducing insertion effort and preventing extraction without unscrewing, thus improving the retention to insertion ratio.
Implementation Method 1
flexible lock arms are configured to engage on one side only. The lock arm design functions in a manner that flexes easily during installation to reduce insertion effort
Data Source
AI summary
The present arrangement provides a hole retainer for insertion into a threaded hole. The hole retainer has a saddle configured to accept and retain an object, a stabilizing post, and a plurality of staggered locking teeth. The staggered locking teeth extend from the bottom of the stabilizing post upward in a manner such that they engage with threads inside the threaded hole.